


Bound to the Sky with You

by Firekitten



Category: RWBY
Genre: M/M, This story is still in the planning stages
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-21
Updated: 2018-08-21
Packaged: 2019-06-30 13:27:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,375
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15752619
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Firekitten/pseuds/Firekitten
Summary: Life for Taiyang was simple. He told stories to his kids. Brought in the dawn. Kept watch for the clan.It was meant to stay that way.And then he found Qrow, and that complicated everything. [Dragon-Fantasy AU]





	Bound to the Sky with You

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Day 2 of Taiqrow week - Theme is "Take you kid to work day"

A long, long time ago, when the world was still very new, the great God of Light turned to his first-born son and decreed that he was to travel the entirety of His vast lands and, upon returning, would have to bestow a gift to the world. The demi-god, named Ozpin, thought very carefully on what he wished to give as he traveled from corner to corner. It was a long journey before he stood back before his father, and when the God of Light asked what his son had decided, Ozpin said:

“Father, I have scaled the great mountains and walked the open plains. I have been to the dusty deserts and to the rolling seas. I have trudged through the murky swamps and drifted through the canyons. I have chipped off ice from the glaciers and taken the molten rock from the volcanos. I have climbed every tall tree in the forest and counted every small pebble in the pond. And now that I have returned, I have realized one thing.”

“Speak it, my son.” The God commanded.

“The deserts were always hot without relief. The mountains always had snow that never melted. The forests rained endlessly and the winds roared across the oceans constantly. I wish to grant the world a chance to change at different times of the year. I want to see rain in the deserts and the clear tops of the mountains. For the forests to dry and oceans slow.”

“And how do you propose for this to come about?”

Ozpin replied with a smile sly and proud: “We can create a new species for the world as bright as humanity. One of which will coexist with the fauna and flora and will oversee these ‘seasons’ of change.”

And that was how Dragons came to be.

However, trouble was instantly afoot. The God of Darkness, who knew of his brother’s plans, made sure to speak up at this moment – for it was unfair for Light’s son to give a gift when his daughter was not given the same indulgence. Seeing no flaw in his sibling’s reasoning, Salem too was set out on a journey and returned much sooner than her cousin. When asked what she had decided, she said:

“I have seen what Ozpin’s gift has done. The trees that do not gather enough water stand in your forests and rot without end. There are ponds both too dry and overflowing. There are creatures unable to stand the frigid cold or burning heat, yet unable to do more than suffer.”

 “This is quite the problem.” The God of Darkness pronounced. “Speak, my daughter. What do you say should happen?”

“The gift I wish to bestow is that in which things can pass on and be reborn. For things to fall and come back. For the world to move like the sun and the moon.”

And that was how Time began.

At first, everything seemed to be in balance. The seasons shifted and the wildlife flourished, creating a world of beauty and life. Dragons and humans especially lived among one another with respect and care to each other. Dragons would kindly share their talents to protect their counterparts and provide a long, fulfilling livelihood for the humans and, likewise, the humans would offer their own protections and offer their companionship that made their lives richer than all the gold in the world. They existed together in perfect harmony.

But that was the funny thing about time. It had a habit of-

“Daaad! You’ve told this story a _billion_ times.”

“Sssh. It’s just getting to the good part.”

“Ruby you’ve _heard_ this a billion times.”

“So now it’s a billion and one.”

“But we’re gonna miss the sun!”

“There’s no missing the sun Yang.” Taiyang input patiently, hiding a chuckle as his eldest daughter gave out a little roar of fury, throwing up her hands and falling back into a heap on the stone floor. “You wouldn’t have to wait so long if you didn’t get everyone up so early.”

“Humph!” She crossed her arms, her long, slightly spiked tail thumping on the ground in quiet agitation. It was a good thing she wasn’t an earth dragon or, even in her humanoid form as she was now, she might have caused an earthquake.

“Hey, hey dad! Can I come this time?” Ruby, who had been lounging in her full dragon form, sprung forward like a rabbit, her clawed, front feet landing on his knee as she leaned towards him. “My horns grew a whooole inch overnight, see?”

 He placed his hand between the little bumps on her head. He squinted. “You can’t mean these tiny nubs, can you?”

Now it was his youngest’s turn to whine as she splayed across his lap. “Nooo, they’re big and beautiful!”

“They will be one day but you can’t rush growth.” Taiyang sighed fondly as she continued to carry on, scratching his claws along her scaled back soothingly. “When did I get such impatient daughters?”

Yang pulled herself up, rolling her shoulders and stretching out her feathered wings. “Patience is for old guys like you.”

He laughed heartily. “You only get to call me old when I’m losing half my sunbeams on the flight in like a certain overeager fledgling I know.”

“Hey!” His eldest pouted. “Just you watch, I’ll bring so many in you won’t even need to be there!”

“Is that so?”

“It’ll be so much ‘so’ that you’ll just go ‘whoa’!” She said, inflecting the last word with a sense of awe.

“Take me with you. I wanna see!” Ruby demanded as she rolled onto her back. She started to wiggle, giggling when he started to scratch her stomach. “Aahaha, dad no, that tickles!”

“Then you shouldn’t leave your stomach exposed!” He said, tapping her nose affectionately.

The sound of wings flapping through the air drew their attention, the three of them looking over as a fledgling flew into the mouth of the den. She was primarily white with light blue accents to her scales and a deeper blue shade on the underside of her wings. She was built similarly to himself and Yang when in full form, wherein she stood on four, powerful legs like an oversized lizard, and her wings connected to her shoulder blades, the span of them stretching nearly twice her length. She had an elongated snout and jagged horns that shot up from the back of her skull. The only differences were that she was much slimmer, aiding for the softer flight ice dragons often had to have when laying frost or breathing snowfall, and her spikes went all the way along the base of her spine rather than just down her tail. As they watched her, the small dragon hopped forward some as a much larger one glided in behind her, this one very similar to herself except instead of blue, her accents were a shimmery silver.

“Weiss!” Ruby rolled out of his lap, charging forward to run over to the other fledging, bouncing around her. “You’re back! How did it go? Oooh, tell me everything!”

“Well,” The other replied, shifting into her humanoid form. Tai guessed it was only because she wanted to give his daughter the full effect of her smug grin as she loudly proclaimed, “I put up all the icicles in the trees today.”

Before she could get too proud of herself, her older sister, also transformed, delivered a sharp rap to her head. “Don’t lie.”

Weiss nursed the bump with a frown. “Alright so, maybe not all of them.” She turned back to other, saying, “Still, I did a lot!”

“Well, enjoy them while they last because once I bring in the sun, they’ll be gone in the blink of an eye!” Yang said as she joined them.

“Oh, so you mean I have nothing to worry about?”

“What’d you say iceberg!?”

“You clearly heard me sunburn.”

Winter rolled her eyes at the young dragons’ antics, turning when he approached. “I spotted the Belladonna brood on the way in. Blake was with them today.”

“Really? I bet Ghira and Kali are overjoyed.” Tai could almost picture the furred dragons’ proud gaits as they walked their daughter through the steps of shadow manipulation. “Bet they’ll be talking up a storm when they get back.”

“Hmm.” Winter arched an eyebrow his way. “Sounds familiar.”

“Ehehe.” He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly, trying hard to block out how embarrassing he had acted after taking Yang on her first flight to dawn. “Maybe I had been a little excited.”

“Try a month of nothing but you chattering everyone’s ear off who cared to listen. We’re all dreading the day Ruby’s antlers come in.” Before he could find a good response to that, a loud commotion drew their attention, seeing the animated young drake was dancing around her sister and friend, little red petals falling around in little bursts. Winter shook her head. “Which is going to be very soon, it seems. Petals already?”

“Yeah. They started up last night. By spring, she’ll probably be ready to bloom flowers.” Tai said, unable to keep the weight from his voice.

Astute as always, the younger turned to him, crossing her hands behind her back. He always wondered how she managed it with her wings. “You’re going to have your claws full pretty soon. Have you given any thought to who you’ll have discipline her?”

“Uh, well, Peach maybe. Fruit isn’t that different, right?”

The look she gave him was definitely disapproving. “If I recall, the Pine brood are garden dragons.”

“Oscar’s only a few seasons shy of maturing himself. I can’t possibly ask when they have their own son to focus on.”

“The Marigolds? Their son is much older.”

Tai growled lowly at the thought of the detestable drake whose honor as a dragon was about as low as the roots he planted. “I’d sooner throw myself to Salem’s Grimm.”

Winter sighed. “What, will you train her yourself?” When he didn’t respond for several seconds, she deadpanned, “You must be joking.”

“I watched Summer for years. I think I could handle it.”

“You know it’s not even remotely the same-” She sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. “I don’t know why I bother. Though, if you’re going to do something that foolhardy, then I don’t know why you keep denying her on coming along. You’ll need the practice.”

It was surprisingly hard to beat that logic. “You know, being lectured by you is rather uncomfortable.” He shot her a grin. “You’re so _frigid_ about it.”

“Ugh!” In a fit of rare immaturity, she smacked his arm. “Don’t you have some sunlight to catch?”

He laughed, glancing towards the mouth of the den where the sky was turning cerulean. “I guess I do.” Tai called over to where the girls where still chattering away, “Yang, it’s time to go!”

“Yes!” She flew over and shifted into her full form halfway over, bouncing on the tips of her claws. “Let’s go!”

He placed a hand on her head. “Just a second.” He looked back across the den where his other daughter had lowered her snout to the floor, every inch of her radiating disappointment as she blew away some of her petals. “Ruby, you too.”

Her head shot up, looking to Weiss who merely shrugged and waved her away, before Ruby was up and across the floor in three giant leaps. “Really?!”

“As long as you promise to stay close-”

“Yes, yes, yes! I promise!”

Yang seemed equally excited as she bumped heads with her sister. “Just wait until you see me in action!”

He nodded to them. “Alright. Let’s get going.”

* * *

Light was remarkably heavy.

Even after all these months, Yang still had trouble keeping her flight level as she tried to keep up with her dad. She could feel the weight of the beams on her glowing wings, the pressure trying to pull her down. It took all her power to fight against it. It wasn’t nearly as bad when she first started out though; back then, she had plummeted right out of the sky at the mere touch of the sun and her dad had to swoop in and catch her.

She wasn’t sure how her dad did it every day, bringing in all the light to their hollow like it barely fazed him, especially when she knew, besides herself, he was the only sun dragon in their area. They weren’t like the mountain clan – who she’d heard had at least two broods, one of which had eight kids. She’d heard a few of the other adults talking, saying maybe a few might migrate this way when they came of age. It only made her more determined to learn as fast as she could, so no one had to worry anymore.

“Yang!” Her dad called, “You’re losing too much altitude. You need to glide more.”

“Yeah, I know!” She said, trying not to flap her wings too hard as she tried to catch herself back onto the air currant. She only lost a few beams before she was able to level out again.

He gave her a fanged smile. “Not bad. You’re definitely getting better.”

“Yang, you look awesome!”

She looked at where her sister was, perched on their dad’s back. She couldn’t help but preen, calling back, “Yeah?” She really hoped Blake thought so too. Her best friend had promised to watch her when she flew in and she didn’t want to make a fool of herself.

“Hey wait, what about me?” Tai intervened.

Ruby snout wrinkled. “Dads can’t be awesome.”

He placed a clawed foot against his heart, mock-groaning in pain, “Oh no, I think that comment mortally wounded me. How will I ever go on?”

Yang tuned out their antics, focusing on her flight and each careful wingbeat as she looked to the horizon. It was a few more minutes before the jagged, shadowed peaks that surrounded their valley came into view. “Dad, the ridge!”

He nodded, glancing over his shoulder. “Hold on tight Rubes, the dive is pretty steep.” Then to her, “You want to lead today, little sun?”

“Definitely.” She answered, brimming with confidence. Holding the light on her wings while also curving them inward was the most difficult part and she had only just started to get it right. But she had been practicing the technique for days now, hours spent mimicking the way her dad did it the best she could. A few times she had even carried Ruby while trying it, hoping to mimic the heaviness that would be on her wings but she couldn’t keep balance and they ended up crashing through a few tree branches. Hazel had given them quite the talking to after that one.

But she knew she was really getting the hang of it as she broke over the hills and turned her nose towards the ground, not even flying slightly crooked as she came down. Leveling out over the treetops was a bit more tough, and she lost a few more beams as she had to bat her wings a bit too hard, but after that, it was just a matter of flying to the center. She watched the nighttime darkness get overtaken by her light – though it couldn’t reach the corners of the valley. It would be years before she could do that, when she would eventually grow into as massive a dragon as her dad.

Yang held herself aloft with the currants, trees turning into wide areas of snow dusted plains and then finally water as she passed over the central lake. She could tell Weiss had helped make the clumps of frost on the edges for there were a lot of ugly, deformed bumps lacking the natural style Winter had. As she got to the other side, Yang pulled up vertically, spreading her wings wide and giving a hard flap to shake off the last beams, watching the small cone shape that formed and hit to the other end of the valley. She gave a roar of excitement – it was twice as big as yesterday’s! – before she cartwheeled out of the sky and landed on the bank. Her feet sunk into a few inches of snow.

Barely a minute later, her dad was soaring overhead, the rest of the darkness quickly being eaten up by the light before he was touching down beside her. He laid across the ground, making it easier for Ruby to slide off, and her little sister came bounding right for her, eyes glittering like stars. “That was so great!” She exclaimed. “You made it look so easy.”

“Well, of course.” Yang fibbed, standing a little taller. “But you haven’t seen anything yet! Dad, can I take Ruby with me while I do the dapples?”

He gave a nod. “Just don’t stray too far.”

“We won’t. Come on Ruby!” She said, hurrying towards the tree groves. Ruby hopped after her, creating big holes in the snow where ever she landed.    

Dappling, otherwise known as guiding the light through the thick leaves of trees so they touched the ground, was one of the easier things she had to do, especially during winter when most trees didn’t even have leaves. She knew her quick-to-impress sister would get a kick out of it. It wasn’t like she never saw their dad do these same things, but Yang understood there was something more exhilarating about watching someone they had shared the hatchling burrow with doing things the adults could. It was a sign they were all growing up.

“Okay, so watch this.” Yang said as she hovered underneath the branches of some pine trees. She tilted her head back, sucking in a deep breath, before blowing it out. A tunnel of wind and golden sparkles emitted from her throat and caused the branches to shudder, light coming on through. Similar to a fire dragon, her breath held a certain heat to it, though it wasn’t hot enough to scorch or burn. She looked down at the speckled ground, drinking in her sister’s cheers, and leading her through the forest. After a few more groves, she started to throw in a few flips and cartwheels to add a little extra flair to her performance.

Shortly after they entered the eucalyptus field was when her sister fell unusually silent. Yang paused turning to look back at her and seeing Ruby had frozen, peering off into the snow. “Hey, what’s wrong?” She called, turning back to rejoin her.

“I don’t know.” She said, sounding trouble. “But doesn’t that look weird?”

Yang turned her head, quickly spotting the unusual mound in the snow at the base of a tree. She could have believed it was another mishap of Weiss’s if not for the slightest tuft of black sticking out of one end. “Maybe a wolf?” She took a few steps forward, cautious at first until she recalled they had been making enough noise to startle the beast had it been able to awaken. “I think it’s frozen.” She said.

Ruby gasped in excitement. “You could unfreeze it!”

“I, uh, I don’t know how to do that.” She’d seen dad do it a few times to some unfortunate animals and even once to a whole trove of unlucky sparrows that had frozen to the ice of the lake. But she wasn’t really sure how it worked.

Her sister deflated some, sparing the mound a concerned look. “We can’t just leave it though…”

“Yeah.” She turned, flying up between the trees. “I’ll call dad.”

* * *

As he walked around the lake, Tai swirled his tail in the frigid water, watching the ripples carry the sheen of light across the glossy surface. He had just completed the circuit and was blowing warmth back into the tip of his now numb tail when he heard Yang’s roars. They were urgent but not panicked, so he knew she wasn’t in danger. Still, he didn’t waste time, taking off and quickly finding his daughter, her head poking up between the eucalyptus trees. “What happened?” He called, shifting into his humanoid form so he could more easily navigate through the branches.

“We found a frozen animal.” Yang said.

Ruby had scuttled forward on her belly, a hair’s breadth from an unusually-shaped pile of snow. It looked like it could have been as big as an adolescent deer. She looked back at him, trying to whisper, “We think it’s a wolf.”

Tai frowned at the sight of the poor thing, only to look down when Yang nudged her snout against his hand. “Can I try unfreezing it?”

“Well…” He hesitated, glancing back at the creature, debating. He knew it would be good practice and at least it was a large animal; it would be less delicate. “Alright, I’ll guide you through it. But, you have to go really slow, okay? If it is still alive, you can shock its system if you try bringing it back too fast.”

Yang seemed a little nervous, but mostly determined. “Got it.”

“Alright Ruby come over here and give your sister room.” The garden dragon lifted herself from the snow, slinking over to his side. Yang took her place, leaning down on her front legs. “Okay. So, it’s just like how we melted morning frost during autumn. Use soft, short bursts of breath back and forth along the body. If you get too tired, let me know. We can trade off.”

His daughter nodded, inhaling deeply, before her sun breath sparkled along the snow, turning her head to and fro as she did. It took a few minutes before true progress started to show, the snow slowly turning to slush, falling off of the form in wet clumps. For the most part Yang paced herself, he only having to warn her once when she went a little too fast, a huge chunk falling from what he assumed was its rump, tufts of wispy black fur coming into sight.

“I can hear it breathing!” Yang said, tail wiggling with excitement as she inhaled again.

“Do you think it’ll want to play when it wakes up?” His youngest asked as her sister continued to warm the beast.

He crossed his arms, saying sternly, “We’re not keeping it Ruby.”

“Aaah. But I already named it Zwei!”

Anything else he was about to say to that caught in his throat when another clump fell away, revealing not more dark fur, but a broad forehead and the curved dip of an eye framed by a fine eyebrow. He choked on air, his tail wrapping around Ruby, pulling her close to him as he shouted, “Yang, stop!”

His daughter did, at first in confusion and then with dawning realization as she quickly wheeled backwards, running into his legs. They stood there, several long seconds ticking by, and Tai tensed up as more snow fell, exposing the rest of the face; he had a slightly pointed nose and an angled chin with fine hairs of scruff along his jawline. Definitely a man.

Questions twisted in his mind without answer, heart beating a panicked rhythm in his ears. How was he here? Where had he come from? How had no one else spotted him until now? Were there more? Or, perhaps, was he a scout for another group? Were they planning a raid?

Yang looked back at him, “Dad…?”

“Is that a human?” Ruby also looked up at him.

He grit his teeth, voice a rough growl as he said, “We’re leaving. Now.” He turned. He needed to get his girls out of here and tell Sienna of the intruder.

He was so caught up in his thoughts, he almost tripped over his youngest when she jumped out in front of him. “But we can’t just leave him! He’ll die!”

“Ruby this isn’t up for debate. He’s a human. He’s dangerous.”

She looked past him, back at the crumpled form in the snow. “He’s not dangerous, he’s hurt.” When she looked at him again, her face was earnest. “Didn’t dragons used to help humans?”

“That…” He sighed, pressing a hand against his forehead. “That was a long time ago. Things have changed.”

“Then can’t they change again?”

“Ruby, enough! We’re going!”

 She ducked around his hand that tried to grab her, hopping over to hide against her sister. “Yang, you agree with me, right? We should do something.”

“Well…” The elder fanned a wing over her sister, taking a few uncertain steps back when he whirled on them. She darted looks between him and the human, saying, “He… hasn’t done anything wrong yet.”

“It doesn’t mean he won’t. It doesn’t mean he hasn’t. He could of set traps.” He waved a hand back towards the mountainside. “It was those kinds of things that scarred Blake. Took away Hazel’s sister. Killed-” Tai’s throat closed up, unable to finish. The sharp nails of his hand dug into his palms as he clenched them into tight fists.

“But won’t we be just as bad as them if we do nothing?” Ruby’s voice wobbled. “This is wrong! You know it is!”

He spread his wings, roaring back, “It’s not that simple! Actions like these have consequences! You can’t just-” The sudden sob drew him short, chest tightening as he watched the way his youngest buried herself into the underside of her sister’s wing. He shut his eyes, taking a few, calming breathes. When some of the heat in his blood had subsided, Tai knelt down in the snow, saying gently. “Rubes, you’ve got a good heart. Like your mother, you have a deep-rooted desire to bring hope to this world. But, truth is, whether they be dragons or humans, not everyone is ready for that.”

One wet, silver eye peered towards him. “Not even you dad?”

The expression was so startling familiar to him, that he couldn’t help but see a younger Summer imposed over her from a time long ago, when he was still an adolescent himself.

_He found her sitting in the middle of her flower field, curled in a protective ball with her knees drawn to her chest and tail curled around herself. Even the little white roses growing in her antlers seemed wilted. As he approached, stepping around her blossoms with care, he heard a few sniffles and it managed to break his heart. She probably knew it was him, because she didn’t startle as he settled down beside her. “I uh, I beat up Cardin for you?”_

_She drew in a sharp breath, looking up at him with watery eyes. “You don’t think it’s stupid, right?”_

_“Of course not.” He reached out, using his knuckle to brush away some of her tears. “I think it’s admirable. It takes a strong heart and steady resolve to say the things you do. Don’t let what that acid-spitter says get you down.”_

_She gave a shaky giggle, wiping away the rest of her tears. “He doesn’t spit acid Tai.”_

_“Coulda fooled me.” He growled some, though he was quick to shake off the irritation, focusing back on the drake. “Tell you what. Let’s do it together. Just me and you. We’ll make the world a better place.”_

_“You promise?” She tilted her head towards him in quiet askance. “You really promise?”_

_He chuckled as he lent down, hooking one of his horns with hers. “Cross our antlers, hope to lose them…”_

_She smiled, pressing their foreheads together. “-Stick an arrow through our sternums.”_

His hand curled around his left horn as the memory faded away. He looked to his girls, Ruby’s hopeful gaze and Yang’s uncertainty seeming to strike at him without ever uttering a word. Slowly, he looked to the human still lying in the snow.

And he got to his feet.

* * *

Warm.

It was the first thing Qrow was aware of; it was warm. It felt like the springtime sun, bearing down but not stiflingly so. Had he fallen asleep in the fields again?

“Mm…” He turned his face, his cheek brushing against something smooth. He couldn’t really process well what that could be; the most ridiculous thought was it was a river stone, but it was definitely too large to be that.

Wait, hadn’t it been winter?

 “I think he’s waking up!”

“Ruby you promised to stay back.”

“I got her dad.”

The unfamiliar voices stirred him further and the effort it took to try and come to awareness was unusual. Something seemed wrong about all this, but he couldn’t quite figure out why. His mind felt like it was slogging through a swamp, struggling to keep itself above water while bits of information sunk into the mud and out of reach.

He was finally able to open his eyes. They were dry and unfocused and it took him a few blinks before he was able to adjust to the daylight, the fuzzy features of what he had felt before unblurring, until he could discern that he was curled up against a wall of honey yellow, a bit taller than where his shoulder was. It was also scaly.

Like it was catching onto a decaying vine only for it to fall hard to the ground when it inevitably snapped, his mind decided that was the time to slam a flood of disjointed memories into the forefront of his head.

_“We really caught a winner this time!” Mercury laughed, kicking the metal cage. The brown dragon within gave a yelp of fear._

_Qrow crossed the tent, fury boiling under his skin as he clutched onto his sister’s wrist. “Have you gone mad?! You took a kid!”_

_“Sssh, just stay quiet.” He soothed to the shaking drake, trying to pick the lock as quickly as he could before Emerald came back. “It was Amber, right? You’re gonna be just fine.”_

_While the rest of the room warped and twisted around him, he found he could still focus on the red eyes that pierced him with their intensity. “You disappoint me, little brother.”_

_He was falling, falling… into darkness and cold._

Qrow jerked upwards with a cry, “Raven!”

He quickly found that it had been a poor idea, his vision blurring worse than when he would try and drown a keg of penny-ale. He fell against the yellow wall, groaning as he pressed a hand against his face. He’d been tossed through his twin’s portals before. While it often did knock him out, they’d certainly never left him feeling weak like this. “Ugh, what happened?”

A voice, the first one he had heard and was definitely that of a young girl, came somewhere from in front of him. “Dad kissed you back to life!”

…What?

“N-No! I was breathing warmth into his lungs.” That one, male and rather gruff, came from behind him and… above. Qrow was starting to reach a conclusion of where exactly he was and knew it would be just like Raven’s sick sense of humor to choose a place like this. If he ever saw his sister again, if he got out of this _alive_ that is, he swore he was going to punch her in the face.

Still, he took a breath and braced himself, opening his eyes to just make sure.

His eyes zeroed in on the wingless drake first. She had a serpentine body that was mostly black, though her belly and the tiny, thorn-like spikes on her spine were red. She was very young, barely any horns to speak of on her head and she stared at him with an open sort of curiosity and innocence that seemed to be universal in kids.

The mimic standing protectively by her was a few years older and had clearly lost some of that youthfulness. She had hair that was canary-yellow bright with wings that matched, though he caught hints of orange as well, almost like fire. Her white horns were particularly interesting, curving back from the forefront of her skull, bending away from one another only to re-meet at the tips in a heart-like shape.

Qrow looked down at the tail he was using for support, trepidation filling him as he turned his head and slowly looked up.

And, Ozpin be damned, there was daddy.

He was impressively large, about the length of a cottage and, if he stood, probably as tall as one too. His whole face radiated danger, from the tip of his nose where a single sharp point rested to the spikes that poked out from his upper jaw, to the massive, tusk-like horns that curled out from his temples and bent back along his skull in a staircase-like pattern. The amount of ways Qrow could die from gorging or crushed bones was merely a choice of favor. That didn’t even include the rows of deadly fangs that could rip him apart in a heartbeat.

He was yellow all over, though unlike his daughter he lacked her brightness, seeming to be of a collection of burnt shades. His main body was all honey-yellow, but underneath his jaw and probably down his belly was a more burnt-orange coloration. He didn’t have any protrusions on his back, only from the base of his tail to the tip, where it fanned off into a collection of fiery-shaded feathers that reminded him of a falcon’s tail, but with a few elongated stems that ended in rhombus shapes like a peacock’s. The stem of his wings had scales like his body, but the rest of them tipped off into gigantic feathers that matched the shade of the tail’s.

“I hope you didn’t kiss me with those teeth at least.” Qrow articulated intelligently.

Check ‘a dragon rolling its eyes at him’ off the list of things he thought he’d never see. “Can you walk, human?”

Unsure if he should push his luck, he quickly got to his feet, swaying a bit. “Uh, yeah. Definitely.”

“Good.” He turned his head some, looking to the younger pair. “You two. Home. Now. And not a word about this to anyone.”

“Aaah. Can’t we stay?” The drake whined.

“No.” That was not a tone even Qrow would argue with right now.

The elder sister was still watching him carefully. “What are you going to do?”

“We’re going to have an exchange of some words and then I’m going to take him out of the valley.” He really hoped that wasn’t actually code for ‘eating him alive’ or something. It had the air of how a farmer would tell their littlest ones that all the chickens that were mysteriously disappearing were merely ‘flying home’.

“Alright.” She gave him one last look-over, before turning and heading further into the forest. “Come on Ruby.”

Ruby gave another elongated whine. “Okay, okay.” She waved a paw – a foot? – at him, “Bye Mr. Human!” before hopping after her sister.

Despite his best efforts, Qrow felt his legs give out on him. He sighed and watched the children disappear into the tree line. “Cute kids.” He wasn’t sure what to make of the rumbling noise the other made – was he humming or growling? “So uh,” He looked up, not entirely surprised to see the other was already staring back (was this what mice felt like when they were under a cat’s paw?), “I normally have a lot more pride than this but: don’t eat me, please.”

The dragon’s nostrils flared. “Why would I go through the trouble of helping you if I was just going to kill you?”

Qrow actually didn’t know what to say to that. “Maybe you like your meals… running?” If only he could get copper in exchange for all the times he still said inane stuff anyways, he’d be an aristocrat by now.

“Look, human.” He returned impatiently, “I’m _not_ going to hurt you unless you give me reason to.” He lowered his head to view him better and Qrow became acutely aware of two things. First was that this dragon’s face was wider than his whole chest and one bite would undoubtedly tear him in two. The other was that he had dark blue eyes identical in hue to the evening sky. “So, how did you get here?”

“Well uh, you see,” He said, trying to stretch for time as he searched for a response that wouldn’t end his life instantly. Lying was out of the question – no way could he come up with something adequate under such a situation. But telling the full truth was equally a poor choice that could lead to dire consequences on his still breathing body. He settled for as little detail as possible. “I ended up losing a huge chunk of revenue for my village. One of the witches exiled me here. Probably hoped I’d be ripped apart.”

The dragon tilted his head. “Revenue?” He repeated, testing the word.

 “You know like, money?” When it was obvious that also didn’t register, he explained, “For us, it’s a necessity. We use money to trade for things we need. Food, clothes, ale; that sort of thing.”

“So, you lost this ‘money’ and your punishment was death?”

“It was _a lot_ of money. Enough to probably feed most of the village for several months.”

“How did you lose it?”

_Uh-oh._ He probably should have expected that question. A cold sweat built along his back. “Some of us sell… animals, to one another, that help us with our lives. Like horses. They pull troughs on our farms and help us travel. Chickens and cows provide food. I ended up not locking the cage we were transporting them in and well,” He spread his arms out, “There went the money, running away.”

“Sounds like a steep sentence for a run of bad luck, if you ask me.”

He couldn’t help but laugh bitterly at that. “Welcome to my world, bud. There’s a reason I was named Qrow.”

The dragon drew back some. “What’s wrong with crows? They’re rather intelligent, if a bit recklessly brave.”

“Uh, never mind. Guess it’s just a human superstition.” The other made that growly-hum noise again, perhaps debating another question, when a crackling overhead drew his attention. Qrow looked up as well, seeing an avalanche of snow from the trees was starting to fall, only to yelp as he was cast in sudden darkness. He flinched, ducking his head, every muscle in his body tensing up in preparation for the end.

A few moments passed, and he dared to peek upwards when nothing happened. Yet, even when he realized the dragon had stretched his wing over him, it didn’t seem to comprehend.

“Winter is going to kill me.” The dragon grumbled, shaking out his feathers, bits of snow flying everywhere. That sentence didn’t make any sense either. Qrow knew the dragons had a lot to do with the change from one season to another – could the seasons somehow punish them if they didn’t do it right? How would that even work?!

Then, for the second time that day, he remembered it _was_ winter – but it had been so warm, he was having trouble remembering. As the other drew back his wing, Qrow looked around, realizing that most of the forest floor around them had been cleared of snow, revealing the brittle grass and shriveled leaves underneath. But it only seemed to cover the immediate floor around them, as if they were in some sort of summer bubble; beyond that it looked as icy and unforgivingly chilly as the season promised to be.

“You’re,” He spoke up hesitantly, “Making it warm?”

“Of course I am. You were frozen in the snow.” The other replied matter-of-factly.

“Oh.” He racked his brain, trying to recall if he’d ever heard of a dragon having such a power before. He knew different dragons had different abilities. That there were fire breathers and ice layers and flower bloomers. Amber had been a leaf turner, which was part of the reason why she had been so highly desired in the first place. The noble class had become rather enamored with catching ‘beauty dragons’, those that were mostly harmless but could create gorgeous displays. They paid top coin for decorations that would perform for their amusement.

Yet, he’s never heard of one that just created warmth. “How?”

He never thought a dragon could look so baffled. “I’m a sun dragon.”

“A what?”

“I’m…” This was starting to feel like backwards déjà vu as it was now the beast’s turn to try and find the words to describe something he inherently knew.  He scratched a claw against the underside of his chin. “You know the first light you see that touches the earth when the sun rises? Or the rays that come through during cloudy days? Dragons like me do that.”

So, he was a light bringer. Qrow didn’t know why it seemed so strange that the species had their own names for themselves. He had just assumed they all used the same terms. He wanted to ask more questions, because it still didn’t explain how he was making it warm, but the other spoke first.

“Anyways, can you _actually_ stand now?”

He coughed down his embarrassment and got to his feet, surprised to find that it was indeed much easier than it had been before. He took a few steps parallel to the other’s tail, ascertaining there was no shake in his knees or stiffness to his muscles anymore. “Yeah.”

“Good.” Then, right before his eyes, quicker than a blink, the dragon _changed_. One second he was tall as a house, the next he was standing only a few inches shorter than himself, copycatting a human form. He was dull blond with tanned skin and broad shoulders. Like all mimics though, he kept his wings, tail and horns, though in smaller, much less threatening size. When he spoke, even his voice had changed, no longer having that permanent snarl to it, “Come on then.”

Qrow, who was still trying to catch up to what he just witnessed, didn’t really process the command. What was that? There hadn’t been a sound of bones popping around or a bright light or _anything_ he had expected there to be. Was it just illusionary magic like Emerald’s? But no, he couldn’t move around so quietly if it was just a trick like that. It had to be actual shapeshifting, but how did it work then?

“Uh, human?”

The voice broke apart his thoughts and he looked up at the other, finding it odd that the once terrifying face now seemed so _kind_. Then again, that was the entire crux of the trick. Dragons knew that appearing as if they were the same or, at least similar, embedded a false sense of security that humans grew lax to. It gave them an edge so that when the time was right, they could shed that fake skin to steal away with whichever goal they were aiming for.

_So then, why didn’t you change Amber?_

Qrow rubbed at his temple, finding things weren’t adding up like they should be and he wasn’t really sure what to do with that knowledge. “Uh, sorry, I’m coming.” He said hurrying after him. He came to walk astride him, though making sure he kept a respectable distance, side-eyeing him. He couldn’t help but wonder if the light hairs on his face was meant to copy the spikes on his jawline, Qrow’s own scruff or just was a personal preference. “So, what’s your name?”

“Why do you want to know?”

He shrugged. He actually didn’t know. “Just curious, I guess.”

Those eyes, still very blue, narrowed suspiciously. But, whatever ill thoughts the other had seemed to go nowhere as he still chose to answer. “It’s Tai.”

“As in, tie a knot?”

“As in, Taiyang.”

“Wait. Doesn’t that just mean sun?”

“What can I say?” He shrugged, waving a hand outwards. “I radiate sunlight.”

Qrow stared, a little stupefied. “Was… that a joke?”

“Well look at that. I’m sunny _and_ funny.”

He wasn’t sure what was more ridiculous: the words themselves, the deadpan delivery or the fact it actually got him to laugh, even if he did try to stifle it. He was doubly surprised when Tai let out a soft chuckle as well. _This has been probably the craziest day of my life._ Qrow decided. _I’ve gone from thinking I was about to be breakfast to laughing with a dragon._

It wasn’t a far walk before they were out of the trees, and the forest opened up into a wide, pure white field of snow. Its centerpiece was a gigantic lake, the edges piled with ice, though it wasn’t quite cold enough to freeze over yet. There were more woods surrounding the lake in every direction, a mismatch collection of trees both evergreen and deciduous. It felt like walking into a fairytale’s magical land, everything so beautiful and pristine.

And it was also so silent that it was near impossible to miss the faint roar in the distance. It was definitely not from any normal mammal and it was quick to remind him he wasn’t exactly safe here.

The other heard it too, glancing in the direction it must have come from, though his expression didn’t shift much.

“Friends of yours?” He asked nervously.

“Someone’s playing.” Tai offered as explanation. He wasn’t sure he wanted him to elaborate.

“So uh,” He started, turning to the other, “Where are you taking me anyways?”

The mimic pointed to the northeast where a mountain range with snow-dusted tops stood tall. “There’s a trail that runs through those mountains and leads to a human village. It’s the closest one around. I’ll take you halfway; but after that, you’re on your own.”

He nodded. Yeah, he could handle that. “So, how are we getting there?”

The look the dragon sent him could only be described as wicked. “You’re not afraid of heights, are you?”

…You have **_got_** to be kidding him.

* * *

As it turned out, Qrow was not afraid of heights.

He was, however, quite terrified of being crushed between dragon feet, which was the more immediate danger he found himself in as he sat between Tai’s cupped claws. He felt rather like an insect that had been caught by an eager child rushing to the house to show his parents what he had found. At least the dragon’s grip was steadier than one’s; so much so, were it not for the roar of the wind and the rotating swish of heavy wings, Qrow may not have believed they were in the air at all. There was little to see in his dark hollow, the only light coming from above him where the other’s feet didn’t quite meet. Looking through the space yielded nothing but the view of the other’s underbelly.  

As the minutes ticked on, merely sitting and waiting for them to reach their destination, it occurred to Qrow that in the span of an hour, he had given a dragon more trust than he even held for his own blood. It perhaps beat out the last, most foolish act he had ever done. Considering he had only done said act last night, he started to wonder if he was perhaps stricken with madman’s disease. Or was being compelled by Salem’s troves of phantom Grimm. A witch’s curse?

He was given no more time to consider further, as the gravity around him shifted with sudden descent and the wind’s roar turned into a whistle. The impact of them landing was jarring enough Qrow was thrown onto his back. A moment later, the other’s top foot lifted, and he had to blink away spots from the onslaught of sunlight suddenly coming down.

“We’re here.” The light bringer announced.

Shakily, Qrow got to his feet, stumbling a bit as he hopped to the ground below. Just like in the clearing, the surrounding area was clear of snow. Behind them was the range of mountains that had been miles away just minutes ago and, before them, a straight path cutting between leafless trees. Winter’s grip on the forest made it appear quite lifeless and desolate.

The dragon morphed once more, stepping up to stand at his shoulder as he gestured forward. “This is an old migration route. No one travels it anymore, but if you continue to follow the path out of the forest, it’ll lead you to a meadow. The town is situated not far from there.”

“Got it.” He felt weary just looking at the snow-packed trail he’d have to plough through. “Kind of wish I wore better boots though.”

“This might help.” Tai spread his wings, just enough for him to pluck off a feather. He rose it to his face and when he breathed out, a gentle light like miniature sunrays emitted from his mouth. It caught the feather, alighting it in a soft, golden glow. He held it out towards him. “The magic won’t hold forever but should last until you get there.”

Hesitantly, Qrow took it, feeling an immediate warmth radiate from his fingertips and rush down his body like a gentle blanket. “ _Whoa_.” He awed as he looked down at himself, almost expecting to be glowing himself. When he looked back up, it seemed the mimic was trying his best not to be amused by him. “I uh, I think this is twice I’m in your debt now.”

“No.” Wings rustled as Tai turned his gaze away. “If you’re in anyone’s, it’s my daughter’s. I was going to leave you to freeze.”

Well.

Fair enough.

“She’s, uh, a good kid.” He coughed down his unease and tried to mask just how eager he was to get moving and put this strange, strange event behind him.

From the look on Tai’s face, it was clear he felt similarly. “Well.” He haltingly said, “May Ozpin’s grace be with you.”

He still had enough manners about him to give the proper reply. “And his power with you.”

The mimic nodded, facing back for the valley as he mumbled, mostly to himself, “Would rather have his omniscience.” He spread his wings and took off for the sky, changing mid-leap.

Qrow watched as the dragon disappeared into the mountains. When certain he was truly alone, he clutched onto the feather and started his journey onward.

**Author's Note:**

> If you enjoyed what I have thus far, let me know! I would truly appreciate it!


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